What to look for when buying?

T

treeroy

Member
Hi! i'm after a 1.4 tdi A2, as I want a cheap to run car. I'm looking at the lower end of the market, so looking for a high mileage car (150k+), something under 2 grand.

are there common issues I should watch out for or check? Anything to look for in service/repair history?
I assume due to the aluminium construction that rust is not an issue?

I haven't driven one before or even been in one so gonna try to find a couple of cars this week to look at.

Sorry if theres other threads about this but I couldn't see anything relevant in the stickied thread here.

Thanks!
 
treeroy said:
Hi! i'm after a 1.4 tdi A2, as I want a cheap to run car. I'm looking at the lower end of the market, so looking for a high mileage car (150k+), something under 2 grand.

are there common issues I should watch out for or check? Anything to look for in service/repair history?
I assume due to the aluminium construction that rust is not an issue?

I haven't driven one before or even been in one so gonna try to find a couple of cars this week to look at.

Sorry if theres other threads about this but I couldn't see anything relevant in the stickied thread here.

Thanks!
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Try this http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthrea...-and-want-to-know-what-extras-to-look-out-for
 
Try this one......

Buying and owning an A2

Hi, If you are an A2 owner (or prospective owner), here are some answers to some common questions and comments: Buying a used A2 from a dealer http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3830 Buying a used A2 privately http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3646 Things you love about your...
www.a2oc.net
 
Special edition said:
Try this one......

Buying and owning an A2

Hi, If you are an A2 owner (or prospective owner), here are some answers to some common questions and comments: Buying a used A2 from a dealer http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3830 Buying a used A2 privately http://www.a2oc.net/forum/showthread.php?t=3646 Things you love about your...
www.a2oc.net
Click to expand...
yeah i did read that but as all the posts are over 15 years old it's not very relevant :p for someone looking at 150k mile examples. But to be fair from reading various threads and articles it seems that not much goes wrong? The glass roof is a problem and something about the turbos going on the 90hp version. Apart from that I can't find much, is that fair to say?
 
Not all of the A2 is aluminium, particularly in the running gear. On A2's of 2003 or later look at the front wishbones. If they are the slim cast type (roughly triangular with a central hole and integral balljoint) then all is fine as long as the balljoint is fine. If they are the flatter pressed-steel ones however (balljoint is attached by three bolts), be very careful about any visible corrosion. They trap moisture and tend to rust out from the inside, so if you can see corrosion on the outside they'll likely be much worse where you can't see it. Check the main bushes of the rear axle also on any A2, although they shouldn't be too bad unless the car has had an above-average life of salty roads.

In service history, check for cambelt/waterpump in the last 5 years/60k miles. On a TDI of that mileage, check for regular oil changes on a time rather than mileage basis, and still listen for any rattles or idling irregularity as of a worn timing chain. The oil pump is chain driven and although they can go on to 250k+ miles, the chain and its guides and tensioners are known to wear and fail from below the 150k mark. An A2 that has done 15k per year for 15-20 years and had one oil change per year is probably in better internal engine condition than one that's done half of that but only had new oil every 2 years - the higher mileage suggests more long journeys i.e. fully warmed up, thus at minimum engine wear.
 
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Proghound said:
Not all of the A2 is aluminium, particularly in the running gear. On A2's of 2003 or later look at the front wishbones. If they are the slim cast type (roughly triangular with a central hole and integral balljoint) then all is fine as long as the balljoint is fine. If they are the flatter pressed-steel ones however (balljoint is attached by three bolts), be very careful about any visible corrosion. They trap moisture and tend to rust out from the inside, so if you can see corrosion on the outside they'll likely be much worse where you can't see it. Check the main bushes of the rear axle also on any A2, although they shouldn't be too bad unless the car has had an above-average life of salty roads.

In service history, check for cambelt/waterpump in the last 5 years/60k miles. On a TDI of that mileage, check for regular oil changes on a time rather than mileage basis, and still listen for any rattles or idling irregularity as of a worn timing chain. The oil pump is chain driven and although they can go on to 250k+ miles, the chain and its guides and tensioners are known to wear and fail from below the 150k mark. An A2 that has done 15k per year for 15-20 years and had one oil change per year is probably in better internal engine condition than one that's done half of that but only had new oil every 2 years - the higher mileage suggests more long journeys i.e. fully warmed up, thus at minimum engine wear.
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Thanks! I'll have a look out for that. And thanks for the servicing info.

Also
Can anyone tell if this stalk is the type with DIS or without DIS? not sure what I should be looking for (and I haven't owned a vw/audi from this era before so not familiar with the controls)

1639948493676.png
 
That's a non-DIS stalk. That car only has the mini-DIS that gives you a general 'door open' indication and the external temperature. A DIS stalk would have a rocker switch on the end where this one is flat. While we're looking at that photo, from the plastic steering wheel and the gear lever (it has a plastic boot and a black ring instead of silver) it appears to be a base model, which may not have climate control either. From the doorcard & console colour, it doesn't appear to be one of the cars from the two earliest model years, so it's a '51 plate or later. This is when the 'soft touch' coating spread from just the hard trim plastics onto the window & headlight switches and the dashboard centre stack. The coating wears over time (accelerated by fingernails, rings and hand cream) to leave the white patches you see on the switches of many later A2's.
 
Welcome. Just a thought, you are better off buying a car from a member on here. You have a very good chance of getting a proper description of whats what. You won't with a dealer, most of whom don't know what they are! (Badly bitten by a "worthy" in Malvern some time ago!)

You'll find that members are incredibly helpful and it could be useful if you gave us your location.

Regards,

Simon
 
simon martyn said:
Welcome. Just a thought, you are better off buying a car from a member on here. You have a very good chance of getting a proper description of whats what. You won't with a dealer, most of whom don't know what they are! (Badly bitten by a "worthy" in Malvern some time ago!)

You'll find that members are incredibly helpful and it could be useful if you gave us your location.

Regards,

Simon
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I couldn't see a for-sale section but found it now. I've just upgraded my account so having a look in the Market now.

I don't normally buy from a used car dealer but there's never many A2s on sale at one time so I wont just ignore a dealer car out of hand. I'm confident with assessing a car to my satisfaction and can fix most stuff myself as I'm training as a vehicle technician (incidentally at a sister VAG brand dealer)

oh and I'm in cambridge, happy to drive up to ~3 hours away for the right car.

@Proghound thanks for the answer. Do most cars have DIS? And just checking this is just the trip computer / fuel consumption etc or is it used for anything else?
As for worn away buttons I'm not really bothered by that, but thanks for the heads up.
 
You're welcome. In the UK, DIS was standard fit on the Sport models but optional on base, SE and Special Edition trim levels. The Sport model didn't turn up until 2002 and was only available for about half of the duration of the production run, so DIS is a relatively rare extra. It is basically just a fuel/trip computer, but thanks to its larger display it also allows warnings e.g. low fuel to be shown at the same time as the outside temperature, which the mini-DIS doesn't.
 
Suggest you check the engine gets up to 90c temperature and stays there. Diesels are reliable but thermostats can fail - which will lead to increased fuel consumption as the ECU thinks the engine hasn't warmed up.
 
Tyres for me are "the eyes to the soul" they tell you a lot for how the car has been cared for and how the previous owner maintained the vehicle.
A TDI75 (drum brakes on rear) is the cheaper to run and maintain but have never driven the 90 so maybe driving one all would be forgiven lol
Remap for the 75 is availible very cost effectively to acheive around 100 bhp.
Additional earth lead is MUST ASAP!
Mines only a basic model but with TT steering wheel and leather handbrake cover it feels good but A/C on hot days and an open sky roof would be lovely but beware you wont want to only own one believe me they get under your skin!
 
treeroy said:
And just checking this is just the trip computer / fuel consumption etc or is it used for anything else?
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This thread gives a good overview of the DIS functions...

Service Offered: DIS Supply and Fit

Hello fellow A2 enthusiasts, I offer a Driver Information System (DIS) upgrade service. This is a complete service that includes the supply of all necessary parts, installation and the required software adjustments. The service is open to all owners of right-hand-drive, UK-spec A2s, though I...
www.a2oc.net

The one thing that isn't mentioned or shown in the photos is the use of the DIS screen in combination with the Audi Bluetooth telephone system. This system wasn't available in UK A2s, but can be added retrospectively.

Cheers,

Tom
 
Howey said:
Tyres for me are "the eyes to the soul" they tell you a lot for how the car has been cared for and how the previous owner maintained the vehicle.
A TDI75 (drum brakes on rear) is the cheaper to run and maintain but have never driven the 90 so maybe driving one all would be forgiven lol
Remap for the 75 is availible very cost effectively to acheive around 100 bhp.
Additional earth lead is MUST ASAP!
Mines only a basic model but with TT steering wheel and leather handbrake cover it feels good but A/C on hot days and an open sky roof would be lovely but beware you wont want to only own one believe me they get under your skin!
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Why is the 75hp cheaper to run than the 90hp? Are you just referring to the rear brakes, or something else?

I know you can get a remap and that's something I'd probably consider. Is mapping different between the 75 and the 90?

And yeah I would love a sunroof but none of the ones I've seen on sale seem to have it. Not a deal breaker.
 
The drum brakes are just a telltale the mpg figures quoted by numerous members points to 75 mpg much better than the 90 but i dont know why really as 1.9 PD engines mpg figures always were quoted as very similar
 
Howey said:
The drum brakes are just a telltale the mpg figures quoted by numerous members points to 75 mpg much better than the 90 but i dont know really
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According to Parkers, both engines had a claimed 64 mpg when new on sale?

MPG is super important to me and the main reason I chose to look for an A2 so if there's a discrepency then that's very useful to know. I'll have a look for some information on the forum.

I currently have a 1.2 Polo diesel and it gets 65 mpg, 75 on a run; I want my replacement car to get as close to those figures as possible.
 
treeroy said:
According to Parkers, both engines had a claimed 64 mpg when new on sale?

MPG is super important to me and the main reason I chose to look for an A2 so if there's a discrepency then that's very useful to know. I'll have a look for some information on the forum
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Was just adding a caveat to my post, but yeah do your homework as to real life expectations, like i said only repeating what i have read!
 
Real life observations of several members on here put their TDI90's in the mid-50's average MPG even when not giving it beans/enjoying the torque. A solid 60mpg overall is a fairly realistic expectation of a TDI75 in reasonable fettle, as long as it gets to warm up properly, which can take over 10 miles in the cold. What they all like best for economy is long running at a steady speed. If you do a lot of motorway/long distance sat at 60mph or so, you can expect over 70mpg - the same is probably true of a '90 as well.
 
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